Euro 2012: Players to watch out for

Andrey Arshavin (Russia)

He was completely out of form against in the Premier League and thus the 31-year-old will have a lot to prove when he leads Russia at the Euro Cup. Once considered as the best footballer his country had ever produced, Arshavin will be desperate to prove himself at the big stage.

By Suyash Srivastava -

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden)

While Sweden are not among the favourites to win the tournament, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has the ability to single-handedly change the course of a game. -

Fernando Torres (Spain)

In spite of his poor form, the Chelsea striker was included in Spain’s 2012 Euro squad ahead of Valencia`s Roberto Soldado and Atletico Madrid`s Adrian Lopez. Torres, however is determined to prove on the faith shown in him by Spain coach Vicente del Bosque. -

Wayne Rooney (England)

Wayne Rooney has been suspended for England`s first two group games against France and Sweden. This clearly means that Rooney’s campaign could be restricted to just one match against Ukraine in case if England fail to move ahead of the group stage. But his team-mates believe that he is worth waiting for and in spite of his recent not so good form, he can take everybody by surprise at the big stage. -

Mario Gomez (Germany)

He might prove to be dangerous when he gets going, but the Bayern man, who relies heavily on rhythm to score is yet to score in a major international tournament. After Germany dropped Cacau from their Euro cup squad, Gomez will have to play a major role along with Miroslav Klose. -

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

On his day, he can target the goal at will when given an opportunity inside the 30 yards. He will have to play a major role in case if Portugal entertain any chances of making it to the knockout stage. There will be huge responsibility on the shoulders of the 27-year-old as Portugal are in the Group of Death alongside Denmark, Germany and Holland. -

Robin Van Persie (Netherlands)

Robin Van Persie scored 37 goals in all competitions last season and he will be looking to continue his good show at the Euro 2012 where he is one of the leading contenders for the prestigious golden boot. -

Franck Ribéry (France)

He failed to help Bayern Bunich outlclass Chelsea in the Champions League final, yet the 29-year-old Frenchman would like to forget the past and put a show at the big stage for his side. -

Mario Balotelli (Italy)

The Manchester City striker, who is in the news mostly for the wrong reasons, remains to be one of the stars for the Italian soccer team. -

Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany)

Now that he is fit to play for the national team, The Bayern Munich midfielder, who recovered from a thigh injury is one of the major players to watch out for. -